Spiced Salmon

Salmon is my go-to dinner whenever I want to purge from the excesses of eating too many things I shouldn’t have. It’s healthy and has a richness of flavor that belies its health benefits. It contains a fair amount of fats – but the kind that are good for you – Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega 3’s are thought to reduce inflammation – inflammation that leads to heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, arthritis and some types of cancer. They’ve also been found to slow down cognitive problems associated with alzheimer’s disease and reduce the risk of depression and suicide.

It’s nice to find something you love to eat that’s actually good for you, isn’t it? At least once a week, I sit down to a salmon dinner – either grilled, broiled or pan sauteed with salt and pepper, or with a dusting of fiery cajun spices. But another way I frequently fall back on is this recipe I’ve been making for years. I don’t know where it originates from. I wrote it down on a piece of paper years ago without taking note of where I found it. But it must be fairly ubiquitous because Gilda, a friend of mine, served it to me the exact same way a couple of years ago. She doesn’t remember where she got the recipe either.

The important thing is to try it. It’s spicy but not as spicy as the cajun blend I buy. It’s got a sweetness to it too, but I cut the brown sugar in half from the version I had originally written down. The recipe also called for splashing the fish with a little pineapple juice in addition to the lemon juice, but it’s not something I normally keep in the house, so I just omit it. I also ask the fishmonger to cut off the skin, but you could also leave it on, if you like. Cooking it at 400 degrees for 12 minutes is also the perfect time and temperature needed to achieve a piece of salmon that’s still moist on the inside without being raw. See for yourself — and try it.

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Squirt the lemon over the salmon filets and mix all the rest of the ingredients together. Place the fish in a greased baking pan and spread the mixture over the filets. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.

I just picked up salmon yesterday for an easy weekday meal and here you are with precisely how to do it. It will be on my table by Monday. Love when these things work out with little effort on my part.

The combination of these spices sounds perfect. We also try to have salmon at least once a week and I like cooking it at home because it often comes to the table a little over done when we order in restaurants. Thanks for this recipe Linda.

Your salmon is perfectly cooked, Linda, and this recipe is making my mouth water. Just found out I am deficient in Vitamin D and my doctor told me to include salmon in my diet so your post timing is perfect.

Salmon was my absolute favorite "meaty" item to eat when I wasn't a vegetarian. I have recently been contemplating adding a fish day into my diet and this delicious looking filet with that seasoning on top may have made my decision 😉

In my last life, I was a journalist in NYC, but left the rat race to live in Italy for a year. I created this blog upon my return to combine my interests of writing and photography with my love of food and travel. Read more about me here...

In my last life, I was a journalist in NYC, but left the rat race to live in Italy for a year. I created this blog upon my return to combine my interests of writing and photography with my love of food and travel. Read more about me here...